A New Face
by mmmsizzle
Summary: After Scarecrow, Gotham is quiet. Almost too quiet. Batman takes a break, and Bruce Wayne makes some business decisions. But will they lead to the birth of a new villan? And a new love interest thrown in as well. Lots of new faces.
1. Chapter 1

"Is there anything I can get you, Master Wayne?"

Bruce Wayne turned his head to find his butler standing beside him, eyebrows raised. Bruce shook his head. "No, thank you Alfred." Turning back to the wall of flickering screens in front of him, he sighed. "Looks like another uneventful night. It's been so quiet since Crane was finished, Batman's hardly needed beyond petty thievery."

Alfred then spoke up. "Might I suggest sir, that since Batman seems to be at ease, perhaps Bruce Wayne, chairman of Wayne Enterprises, could make an appearance?"

Bruce cocked his head contemplatively. "Well, there is that business with Stuart Pharmaceuticals. Alfred, could you arrange a meeting with William Stuart for the morning? He has this new drug he's experimenting on, and needs some additional funding."

Alfred nodded, then left the Batcave, muttering something about young men needing their sleep too. Bruce smiled fondly after him, but when he turned back to the screens, his smile was gone. He paused, then reached for a photo of a young woman on his desk. He closed his eyes, and thought about their last encounter.

"_Come on Bruce. What aren't you telling me?" Rachel Dawes continued questioning her childhood friend, but Bruce wasn't having it. They were walking through the remains of Wayne Manor, arguing._

"_Nothing Rachel. Just drop it, okay?" knowing full well that she wouldn't. And she didn't disappoint him."I don't get it! You and I used to tell each other everything, but now you hardly give me the time of day! What is going on, and I want an honest answer, or I swear I will keep pestering you until I get one." _

_She ran in front of him to block his path, crossing her arms over her chest. Bruce took a deep breath, and then blasted her. "Damnit Rachel!! I said drop it! If you insist on being nosy, then leave. And don't come back." Then he strode away, leaving her speechless and frozen behind him._

Bruce was drawn out of his reverie by a beeping noise. Hitting a button in front of him, he heard Alfred's voice. "Your appointment with Dr. Stuart is at 10 o'clock at his office, Master Wayne." Bruce thanked him, bid him goodnight, then switched off the intercom. Suddenly tired, he stood, and decided that he could use some rest before his meeting tomorrow. He needed to be ready for anything.

**AN: ok, those of you that have read my other stories know this is a little different for me. But I was bored, and my mind kept drifting towards Christian Bale, for some odd reason... Anyway, this was kind of an intro, it gets more interesting in upcoming chapters. But please let me know what you think, good or bad. Thanks!**


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: Thanks to reviewers, and even those readers who didn't review- although not as much. Maybe you can change your ways for this chapter? Anyway, enjoy!**

"You see, Mr. Wayne, our experiments up to this point have been immensely successful, and are very promising. We can expect a finished, marketable product within the next several months."

Bruce leaned forward in his seat, directing his own question. "So you're saying that your company will be able to have created a _cure_ for hemoplyxia in a timeline of a few weeks, Dr. Stuart?"

Smiling, the doctor nodded briefly. "Assuming that we can count on Wayne Enterprises to help fund my research, yes; that's exactly what I'm saying." Bruce sank back into his chair, staring off thoughtfully.

"Well, I'll have to see some of the details, but your proposal sounds fair. It seems-" Bruce was cut off by the opening of the office door, and a young brunette strode in. "Hey Dad. Here are those reports you asked fo-" She stopped midsentence, finally noticing another occupant. "Oh. Sorry, I didn't realize you were in a meeting. I'll come back later." She was flushed, and began sneaking out of the room, away from the inquisitive gaze of one billionaire. But before she could escape, Dr. Stuart rose from his chair.

"Nonsense! This is actually very lucky. Mr. Wayne, this is my daughter Katherine. Kate, Bruce Wayne." Bruce stood to grasp Katherine's hand in a firm shake. "Ah. _The_ Bruce Wayne," she said with subtle disdain in her words. While her father hadn't noticed, Bruce certainly had, but said nothing, merely noting her tone with curiosity. "Yes. Mr. Wayne is considering funding additional research for the vaccine, Kate." She smiled at her father, "Well, don't let me interrupt you. I'm just going for lunch now Dad. I'll be back to talk to you about those reports later." With that, she excused herself, shutting the door quietly behind her.

Listening to the faint clacking of her heels, Bruce turned back to the doctor. "Actually, I think we're done. I'll give your proposal more thought, and get back to you within the week?" Stuart nodded, shook Bruce's hand, then opened the door for him. "I'll see you soon Mr. Wayne."

"Katherine! Hey, Kate!" Katherine Stuart, waiting for the elevator doors to open, turned upon hearing her name, but was surprised to see Bruce walking briskly to catch up to her. Sighing and shaking her head slightly, then strode into the elevator and waited for the doors to close. But before they could shut completely, a hand was stuck in, causing them to reopen. Kate rolled her eyes and stepped farther into the empty elevator, away from the entering billionaire.

Bruce stared at her as the doors reclosed, puzzlement evident on his face. "Is there any particular reason that you don't like me?" Katherine met his piercing brown eyes with her own crystal blue ones. Although she was wearing heels, he stood two or three inches taller. "I don't know what you mean Mr. Wayne. Who wouldn't like an arrogant, irresponsible playboy?" The surprise Bruce felt was obvious to her, as his eyes widened momentarily, but he quickly regained his composure. "You've just met me Kate, I don't-" She cut him off. "Only my father calls me that. You can address me as Katherine. And I read papers, _Mister_ Wayne. I see the tabloids. Buy any hotels recently?"

With a ding, the elevator doors opened, and Katherine took Bruce's gaping as a chance to escape. But before she could leave the building, Bruce had caught up to her again. "_That?_ That was weeks ago! I had had a little too much to drink, but- Hey!" Katherine had started walking away again, and Bruce cursed under his breath as he caught up to her again. When he carefully grabbed her arm to stop her, she whirled around, clearly annoyed. "Mr. Wayne, I have no interest in an explanation of your behaviors, nor do I think I'm entitled to one. Now, kindly get your hand off of me. I'm going to lunch." She shook herself free. "Thank you, and I hope that I have not jeopardized your consideration of funding our research. Good day."

Turning on her heel, she began swiftly walking away. Bruce stared after her. Thinking for a moment, he made a decision, and slowly followed her into the crowded streets of Gotham. He watched her walk into a small deli, sit down in a booth, and place an order with the waiter. Bruce took a deep breath, then entered the same shop. Standing next to Katherine's booth, he said thoughtfully, "You know, I should withdraw my support, after being so rudely treated by an important employee of the company that I would be funding. But, lucky for you, I need to know more information about the drug, and instead of reading pages and pages of boring reports, I'd much rather get them from someone closely invested in the project itself. Preferably without the sarcasm I've already gotten from you." Kate narrowed her eyes at him slightly, realizing her position. _Sweet talk him, seal the deal. What could a business meeting hurt?_ She sighed, plastered on a fake smile, and motioned for him to sit down. He smiled sincerely and slid into the booth.

Looking around, he nodded appreciatively. "Nice décor. Never been in here, but I hear the sandwiches are great." Katherine rolled her eyes again, a habit that she couldn't quite kick. "Mr. Wayne-." "Please Katherine, call me Bruce. If we are having a business lunch, we should probably discuss business. So, what exactly is your role in the project? Your background?" "Well, I actually run more of the business aspects of things. I graduated from Emory University a few years ago, double major in business and biochemistry. I know what's going on with the science, but I've always like business more. So I leave the medical decisions to Dad." Bruce nodded, then asked about the drug itself. Katherine explained how the disease generates allosteric proteins that block certain receptors in the brain, but how their vaccine denatures those proteins, rendering the disease harmless.

They continued to talk about the technical aspects of the drug until they received their food. Between bites, Bruce decided to broach a topic that he'd been thinking about. "Is there any other reason that you dislike me? Besides the tabloid me, anyway." Katherine looked down at her food, took a deep breath, and asked, "My best friend's family owned that hotel you recently bought. She was about to take over the entire building, but you bought it out from under her." Then it was Bruce's turn to look down at his sandwich, leaving Katherine wondering about his thoughts. But when he looked up, she was almost glad to see regret all over his face. "Honestly, I didn't even think about that. It all happened so fast. I promise to do everything I can to give her at least close to the job she had before." Scoffing, Katherine shook her head. "You can't just throw money at a problem and expect it to go away, Bruce. The world doesn't always work like that. At least not in my experience. But," she paused, seeing Bruce open his mouth to protest, "it shows a lot that you're trying to make up for a mistake. Actually, Leigh's fine. Luckily, she had several great offers from other hotel chains, with higher salaries." The billionaire, so recently ashamed, now looked at Katherine with disbelief. "If everything worked out fine, why did you start out by making me feel so awful?! Here I am, truly upset that I ruined this poor woman's life, and-" Katherine smiled, her first genuine smile since walking into her father's office. "I just wanted to make sure that you had enough moral fiber to work with this company. No hard feelings?" Bruce just shook his head and laughed. "Remind me never to get on your bad side."

The rest of the lunch passed with little discussion of their personal lives, focusing on the business at hand. Katherine reverted to her polite, but professional manner, the way she was earlier in the day. Almost an hour since arriving, lunch was over, and business was just wrapping up. "Assuming that the next several days' worth of research doesn't turn up any errors, we'll have a finished product available for commercial reproduction by next Thursday," Katherine finished, folding her hands on the table. "At which point my company can reproduce the drug and have it ready for release by the end of the month. I have to say, you've given this a lot of careful planning and thought, Katherine." She nodded and stood, gathering her coat. "This company is my life. It's my father's life. Besides him, this project is all I have. And I'm glad that I could convince you to stay with our program. I'm sure it'll profit you greatly."

Bruce also stood, then shook Katherine's hand firmly. "I guess I'll be seeing a bit more of you, then. Are you sure I can't call you Kate?" After picking up her coat, Katherine turned back to him before leaving. "I don't think so Bruce. But thank you for lunch. All in all, it wasn't _too_ bad." With that, she strode out of the restaurant, leaving the billionaire grinning like an idiot. When he made to take his coat, Bruce noticed something on the floor. Picking it up, he saw that it was a pen, a beautiful fountain pen. Engraved in silver on the obsidian-black was:

_Kate- You are my sunshine, and you'll never know how much I love you. Happy Graduation sweetheart_

Bruce pocketed the item gently, realizing its sentimental value, then headed back to Wayne Manor. Once there, he called Dr. Stuart. "William? It's Bruce. Yes, I just had a very informative lunch with your daughter, and I would like to officially become a partner in the project."

**AN: yeah, corny, I know. But I tried for something better than **_**I love you**_

**So anyway, that was probably the longest chapter that I've written for anything since 'The Girl all the Bad Guys Want', but I'm surprisingly happy with it. As always, any questions, comments, criticisms- REVIEW!!!**

**And I was reading a bunch of other batman fanfics, and realized that my idea really wasn't as original as I had thought when I started writing. So if you have read, or written, any ones similar to this, I promise, I did not steal the idea, and this is going to be a little different. If it wasn't, that'd be plagiarism. Which is bad.**


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: Sorry I haven't updated in a while. My computer decided to rebel, and needed to be repaired. Fortunately, they recovered all of my documents, including all of the plans for this story, and for that I am very thankful. ****Anywho****, on with the story!**

Standing outside of a stylish Gotham apartment was not the way Bruce spent many of his Saturday mornings, yet here he was, rapping on a door, waiting for it to open. He sighed and checked his watch for the fourth time since getting out of the car only minutes ago. 9:43. Bruce knocked again, then decided that his patience was wasted. But before he could turn away completely, he heard a shuffling coming from behind the door and a series of clicks, followed by the swinging open of the door to apartment 27.

Katherine stood on the other side, having obviously been awakened by his knocking. As she registered who was at the door, Bruce took in her appearance. Her long brown hair was thrown into a messy bun piled on top of her head, strands rebelling any order she attempted. Her only clothing seemed to be an extra large black T-shirt, with the Hard Rock Café logo printed on her chest. Once his perusal was done, he raised his eyes to meet her annoyed blue ones. "Is there any reason to wake me up on a Saturday morning Mr. Wayne, or did you just miss me?"

His eyes were sparkling with laughter at her sleepy face, but answered by pulling the pen she had dropped at their lunch out of his pocket and offered it to her.

Her eyes instantly were devoid of any sleep as she snatched the pen from his outstretched fingers. "Where did you get this?"

Bruce shrugged. "You dropped it at lunch and, being the gentleman that I am, I figured it had sentimental value and should be returned immediately. I also wanted to let you know that Wayne Enterprises is officially a partner of Stuart Pharmaceuticals in developing this vaccine."

Katherine now just stared, jaw slightly open. "In that case, you should probably come in," she said quietly, moving aside to allow him to do so.

When Bruce stepped inside, he was struck by two things: 1) the incredibly tasteful and unique decorations, and 2) how said decorations were virtually covered with papers and files, strewn all over the moderately-sized apartment.

"Sorry about the mess. All nighter finishing up some more work on the vaccine," Katherine apologized, attempting to clean up, inadvertently informing Bruce that she was, in fact, wearing black boy shorts in addition to her large T-shirt. Raising his eyebrows, he smiled and busied himself with helping her organize the mass of papers.

Once a decent area had been cleared, Katherine straightened and noticed Bruce's business attire and flushed when she realized she was still in her pyjamas. "I'll be right back. Go ahead and help yourself to breakfast," she called over her shoulder, making her way to her bedroom before slamming the door shut.

He took the opportunity to examine his surroundings. From the mahogany paneling on the walls and floors, to the interesting pictures hanging on the walls, which appeared to be some intricate designs, he was very impressed with her elegant but simplistic style. Little furniture, all in plain black leather, matching the frames on the walls, only enhanced the formal, yet lived-in feel of the place.

Hearing a door shut, Bruce spun around from his inspection of a picture to find Katherine, fully clothed in dark-wash jeans, a crisp white button shirt, hair brushed and pulled into a clip. He gestured towards the pictures. "These are exquisite. What are they?"

Katherine joined him facing the wall of three distinct black and white pictures. "You like them? They're magnified pictures of spores and viruses. An ex-boyfriend of mine is a forensic anthropologist, specializing in microscopic organisms (**see AN**). It's hard to believe that a few of these in your system could kill you in a matter of weeks." She sighed deeply, looking almost wistfully at the paintings. "Is it odd to find comfort in just looking at them?"

Bruce shook his head. "It's hard to see the negative part of something when it appears so beautiful."

"Well, enough of this. Thank you for returning the pen. You were right; it does mean a lot to me. But did you also say that you talked to my father?" When Bruce nodded, she smiled and stuck out a hand. "Guess we'll be working together then, huh?"

He shook her hand firmly and grinned. "Guess so. Speaking of which, I have a business meeting in a little bit, but would you like to come to the Manor later this evening to discuss more plans?"

Katherine hesitated, but then shook her head gently. "I have a previous engagement for tonight. But I'm sure we can arrange for an appointment during business hours that won't interfere with either of our schedules."

Bruce was a bit put out, but did his best to hide any emotion. "That would be fine. I'll contact your office and arrange it. Until then, Katherine."

She ushered him to the door, waiting to close it behind him, he turned back to her. "Can I call you Kate now?" he asked with a grin.

Katherine rolled her eyes. "No. Goodbye Bruce," she laughed, shutting the door. Both heard the other chuckling on the opposite side of the door.

_**An hour or so later…**_

Once Bruce returned to the Manor, he called up William Stuart. "Bruce! So good to hear from you so soon. I trust everything is going well?" William's friendly voice made Bruce smile on the other end of the phone.

"Yes it is, quite well. In fact, I was hoping that I could make an appointment to speak with Katherine in depth about the project for next week."

William scoffed on the other end. "next week? Why wait? I'm throwing a charity ball this evening for the American Cancer Society. Kate hates those things, so I'm sure she'd be more than happy to escape and talk business for a while. It's a little last minute, but won't you join us?"

_So that's what her plans were._ "You know what, I'd love to go. When and where?"

**AN: Ok, couple of disclaimers: 1) I am in no way associated with the ACS, it was the first charity that popped into my head that a pharmaceutical company would sponsor. 2) ****the**** photographs mentioned were an idea from one of my favorite shows, 'Bones' on FOX. It's pretty awesome, and they really are beautiful pictures.**

**Well, I know this one's a little short, but the next one is the big chapter (I hope), so you have that anticipation to hold you over. **

**And I hope this isn't too cheesy for some of you, but I write freestyle usually, and clichéd is what I get. Sorry, but that's what I got.**


	4. Chapter 4

Bruce stepped out of his limo, nodding to the driver to continue on. He straightened his traditional black and white tuxedo, straining a little at the neck. Geez, he hated these things. They always made him feel like he had to wear a mask to fit in. Stepping inside the impressive hotel, he followed the flow of immaculately dressed people into the lobby.

As discreetly as he could, Bruce scanned the room for any sign of a friendly face, namely Katherine or William. But on every front he was faced with attention-grabbing socialites, dying for a conversation with the bachelor of Gotham. As he listened to yet another chatty woman, his attention was caught by the announcement of the evening's hosts' entrance.

The entire crowd turned their eyes towards the grand staircase, and the two people that descended it. William was merry as always, in a tux similar to Bruce's, but it was Katherine that took his breath away. Her burgundy, one-shouldered dress flattered her coloring and figure perfectly, flaring out a bit at the bottom. With no jewelry, her natural beauty was her only accessory for the evening, and Bruce couldn't help but notice the difference from her choice of sleepwear.

Once the father-daughter pair had reached the bottom, they began mingling with the big shots, and Bruce was forced to turn his attention back to the large man who reeked of stale cigars who was currently talking his ear off.

Twenty minutes and four boring conversations later, Bruce decided that he needed some air. Claiming lightheadedness as a means of escape, he backed away from the crowd, and let himself out onto one of the secluded balconies that surrounded the hotel room.

Breathing in the crisp night air, he closed his eyes in an attempt to clear his head. The sound of muttered cursing brought him out of his reverie. Bruce snapped his head to the side, then laughed when he met the startled gaze of none other than the beauty that had captured his interest. At this moment, Katherine was cursing under her breath, struggling to sit on the balcony ledge.

"Having some difficulties?" Bruce snickered, striding over to help her.

She scoffed. "You try wearing this stupid thing and four freakin inch heels for hours. All I want to do right now is rip this off and put on my pajamas."

"As much as I'd love to help you with that, we might get some stares," Bruce teased her.

"Oh, I don't know. We can start a new trend. My father probably wouldn't mind- he likes you."

Before Bruce could respond, the announcement asking the guests to be seated for dinner came out through the closed doors, causing Katherine to launch into another stream of curses. "Guess that's my cue."



Bruce helped her get down and straighten herself again as she headed for the party. When she noted that he hadn't moved, she raised an eyebrow. "Are you coming?"

He just shook his head. "I'll be in a minute. I need a little more fresh air." Katherine nodded, and with one more smile, walked back inside.

The guests were seated in circular tables of ten in the dining room, each designated by nametags. Once everyone had been settled in, the kitchen door opened, and a mass of servers came in, covered platters in hand.

Katherine narrows her eyes in confusion. _Wait a minute, I arranged this whole thing. There aren't any covered platters._

But before she could act on her suspicions, the dining room was rocked by explosions, as the kitchen and elevator doors simultaneously detonated, sending debris flying into the guests. Amidst the screaming of guests and the tinkling of glass, Katherine was able to motion for her father to hide under the cloth-covered table.

Suddenly, the sound of a machine gun firing shocked the guests into silence. Calmly striding through the flaming kitchen doors, a man walks into the ballroom, followed by a mass of masked men, all holding weapons similar to the machine gun that the front man wielded. The man smiled at the horrified faces of the guests.

"Now that I have your undivided attention, where is Dr. William Stuart?"

**AN: I know, I know! I haven't updated in forever!! SORRY to those of you who are still reading my stories and haven't given up completely… This was going to be a much longer chapter, but I decided to cut it up because I'm tired and I'm going to bed now, and I'll finish the other half before the week is out. But I wanted to give you guys something today, so here you go. Any guesses on who the bad guy is? Andrew-Squee, you do not get to guess. :)**


	5. Chapter 5

RECAP:

_Suddenly, the sound of a machine gun firing shocked the guests into silence. Calmly striding through the flaming kitchen doors, a man walks into the ballroom, followed by a mass of masked men, all holding weapons similar to the machine gun that the front man wielded. The man smiled at the horrified faces of the guests. _

"_Now that I have your undivided attention, where is Dr. William Stuart?"_

"I repeat," the man asked calmly, "where is Dr. Stuart?"

His dress was peculiar, to say the least. He was wearing a suit, but it was unlike anything Katherine had ever seen. One half was conservative, similar to those the male guests were currently wearing, but the other was an interesting mix of deep red and black, but it wasn't in the traditional tux form (AN: Sorry, but I cannot for the life of me describe clothes. Use your imagination, I guess. Combine blood red and black in any way that you see fit).

But it wasn't his clothing that captured his audience's attention: his face was as schizophrenic as his suit. One half, the side above the polished tux, was handsome and chiseled, making him look almost refined. That is, until he turned his face. The mirror side was badly scarred, destroying any remainder of his attractive other half. A sadistic smile was plain on his face, the one similarity between the two poles.

When his question was met with shocked silence, his lip raised in a snarl. "No? Maybe you think I'm kidding." He grabs the nearest guest, the same large man that had been talking Bruce's ear off earlier. His entire body quivered, eyes clenched shut in fear. "How about you? Where is the benefactor of the evening?"

But the man was too frightened to respond, and he merely shook more violently.

The monster rolled his eyes and exaggerated a yawn. "Oh well." No sooner had the words left his mouth than he pulled the trigger, sending bullets flying through the large man's skull.

That was enough to shock the guests out of their stupor, and they all started screaming, a few burst into hysterical tears. As the man shook the corpse off of his arm, sending it to the floor, his eyes scanned the crowd again, searching for another victim.

But as he reached for another guest, Katherine stood, cursing. "You bastard! They don't know anything! Leave them alone!" She stood, fuming, her hands clenched at her sides.

The man cocked his head to the side, and then smirked. He slowly strode over to her, slinging his weapon over his shoulder, supporting it with one arm and leaving the other hand free to grasp Katherine's hand upon reaching her.

Katherine flinched back, but couldn't pull her hand out of his grasp. Her struggle seemed to amuse him, as he chuckles quietly. "And you are, Miss…?"

Before Katherine could spit out retort telling him where he could go, a look of contemplation came over the man's face for a split second, followed by one of comprehension. He cocked his head to one side, and addressed her in a singsong voice. "Well well, if it isn't his daughter herself! Miss Stuart, all on her own. Where's your daddy, little girl?"

"He isn't here. He left earlier. Wasn't feeling well." Katherine masked her fear to the best of her ability, knowing she had to be strong in order to save her father and the hundreds of other people in the room.

The monster contemplated her biting response, silent for a moment, then shook his head slowly.

"Now why is it that I just don't believe you?" Before Katherine could react, he pulled her close, unslinging his gun at the same time, pushing her chin up with the muzzle.

Her heavy, rapid breathing shook her entire body, and she wished fervently to be anywhere but here. _But Dad! I can't let him find Dad. If this bastard kills me, maybe he can escape._

She was torn from her thoughts by his words. "You didn't answer my question, Miss Stuart. Why don't I believe you?"

Katherine tried to silently control herself, but her fury wouldn't be reined in. "How would I know what a psychopath thinks? You're probably too stupid to-"

His grin disappeared, and he backhanded her with his weapon, cutting off her words. She crashed bodily to the floor, and whipped her head up to release a loud expletive, only to find herself face to face with the machine gun's muzzle.

"I have been called many things, psychopath included. But not stupid. At least, not by people who want to live. But you'll learn that, just like your daddy will when I find him."

But even as he moved to pull the trigger, one of the balcony windows exploded in a shower of glass, and Batman swooped in, knocking out two of the masked men in the process.

"Harvey. You decided to have a party without me? I'm hurt," pouted the masked hero, as if scolding a child.

The scarred man's face twisted into an angry scowl, and he jerked his weapon away from Katherine's face towards Batman. "Don't worry- it stops hurting when you die."

Blocking the bullets that flew from the automatic weapon with his cape, Batman spun in a roundhouse kick, taking out two more enemies simultaneously. As he launched himself through the air towards another three, Katherine managed to crawl away unnoticed towards the tables, since the guests were running, or even crawling, towards the exits.

Some of the armed men were obviously torn between keeping the guests in the room and fighting the infamous Batman. But the madman quickly ended that decision.

"Let them leave, they aren't important. JUST KILL THE BATMAN!!"

The scarred man's attention was focused on ordering his men towards Batman, while keeping himself at a safe distance.

That perception of safety changed after watching Batman fight, but when he tried to back away from the fight, he found himself pinned below one of his own men, thrown on top of him.

His face turned towards the guests as he struggled to get to his feet. From his vantage point, however, he saw a familiar­­ dark red dress under a table, struggling with something. A grin slowly spread across his face as understanding dawned when he saw the older man that the woman in the dress was helping to his feet. The scarred man fumbled with his belt for a moment before producing a hand gun. Carefully taking aim, he set his sights on the man's face, which was unfortunately blocked by his daughter. _Serves her right, insolent brat._

William Stuart looked towards his daughter with tears threatening to fall down her face, but she paid them no mind. His eyes slowly examined his other surroundings, and widened in shock when they met the maniacal gaze of the scarred man.

Feeling as if he was moving in slow motion, through a vat of gelatin or glue, William stretched to push Katherine out of the way, succeeding just before a single shot rang out in the din of the other fight going on.

Katherine felt her father go limp, and looked down to see her hands covered in blood. Emitting a shriek of despair, she gazed into her father's lifeless eyes, the only difference in his face the hole born directly between his eyes.

The madman pushed himself to his feet, all the while grinning his sadistic grin. He hit something on his belt, then turned back to lock gazes with the girl under the table, sobbing and covered in blood. While he was sure she was watching, he blew her a kiss and ran out to another balcony window.

Letting out a scream of rage, Katherine struggled to get out from the table, and sprinted towards her father's murderer. Hate blinded her from seeing the other man come barreling at her from the right at full speed. He knocked her to the ground allowing the man to climb up the ladder.

Katherine kicked herself loose of the man and rose with fire in her eyes. She lunged forward to attack him, thinking herself more powerful than she actually was, and quickly found her back thrown painfully against a nearby table.

Grabbing an overturned wineglass from a place setting, she launched herself at the man again, only to be beaten to the punch by Batman.

The masked man swung her securely in one crook of his arm, while slowly spinning to ensure that no other armed men were in the vicinity. Well, not that were conscious.

Satisfied, he released her, only to see her slump immediately. Before she fell, he helped her to move to the floor, but she only sat, staring at the floor with a vacancy in her eyes.

"Are you alright?" Batman asked.

Well that certainly got a reaction.

Katherine's eyes snapped up to meet his, suddenly bright with angry tears. "Alright? No, no I'm not. A madman just killed my father in front of me and got away unscathed. Hell, I don't even know his fucking name!" A broken sob wrenched from her gut. She whispered, "Why would he kill Dad? Why?"

Tears welled in her eyes as she broke away from her rescuer's embrace and slowly returned to her father's body, now exposed on the ballroom floor, surrounded by debris. She knelt, cradling his head in her lap, his sightless eyes staring up at her.

She didn't hear Batman approach her until she saw his hand reach to close her father's eyes. But Katherine pushed him away, telling him to leave, go save other people, make sure all of the guests got out safely.

Reluctantly, he turned to leave. But as he reached the edge of her earshot, he quietly apologized.

If Katherine heard, she made no movement to indicate it. Batman then hurried down to the street to make sure that no other threats were in the building.

Only when Katherine was left alone with her father did she finally move. She dried her tears with her father's tuxedo handkerchief, ironically a father's day gift from her, kissed both of her father's cheeks, and closed her eyes.

When she opened them a moment later, they had hardened, and the sadness had been replaced with anger. "Daddy. I am going to find out why this happened. And get the guy who did this. I promise."

**AN: I guess you're used to random updates. That take forever…. Sorry… but at least this one is a decent length, I think. A lot of information. I don't really do fight scenes either, so watch a kung fu movie if you need more fighting. Also, if you can't tell, I do all of my writing by having the entire scene acted out as a movie/TV show, and then try to write down how it happens in my head, which is why the details kinda suck. Again, sorry about that. If it helps, just picture it as a movie scene.**

**As always, any questions, concerns, criticisms- REVIEW!! **


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